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theguardian.com
The weekend is 100 years old – but have ‘skiveday Fridays’ and hybrid working ruined it for everyone?
In 1926, Henry Ford gave his employees both Saturdays and Sundays off – and the two-day chunk of time to party, pray or simply do nothing was born. Now it’s changed beyond recognitionFor 11 years, from 1929 to 1940, the Soviet Union did not have weekends. Instead, to increase productivity citizens were allocated a day off in every seven at random. With 80% of the population at work on any given day, factories never had to power down.A letter from a disgruntled worker to Pravda newspaper, published soon after the implementation of this new working calendar, outlined the problems: “What is there for us to do at home if our wives are in the factory, our children at school, and nobody can visit us?” the letter-writer asked. “It is no holiday if you have to have it alone.” Parents found themselves at home while their children were at school, or with kids unsupervised while they were on shift. With no shared day off, extended family gatherings became impossible. The workforce became demoralised and listless, the projected spike in productivity never materialised, and the policy was first modified, then abandoned altogether. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
New UK cost of living crisis looms with soaring energy bills forecast to lift inflation
Latest reading on Wednesday likely to frame scale of challenge for new PM to ease pressures on households amid Iran war fallout British households are facing a renewed cost of living squeeze, with official figures expected to show this week that soaring energy bills drove up inflation in July to close to 3%.As the Iran war continues to send shock waves through global energy markets, economists predict the surge in UK gas and electricity bills last month will push Britain’s headline inflation rate to 2.9%. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
I survived two years as prime minister in a hit new game - then my cabinet deserted me
Mobile game No 10: Full Confidence recently ranked above Minecraft on the UK App Store paid games chart
cnbc.com
Iran rebuffs Trump's claim over Strait of Hormuz amid report of another ship being struck
Iran's deputy foreign minister says Hormuz "will remain Iranian" after Trump's claim that the waterway would soon become U.S. territory.
theguardian.com
Massive egg recall in US south and south-west due to salmonella outbreak
About 1.6m dozen eggs from Texas recalled amid one of the largest recorded foodborne illness outbreaks in US historyA massive egg recall affecting nearly 1.6m dozen eggs has been elevated to the US Food and Drug Administration’s highest-risk warning as officials investigate a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 100 people.The FDA on 12 August reclassified the recall of nearly 1.6m dozen white and brown cage-free eggs over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Royal estates rent out homes that fail to meet legal energy efficiency standards
Exclusive: More than 100 homes on King Charles and Prince William’s inherited estates have EPC ratings of F or G• ‘It’s archaic’: the struggle to heat poorly insulated homes let by royal estatesMore than 100 homes on the inherited royal estates of King Charles and Prince William fail to meet the legal minimum energy standards for landlords, the Guardian can reveal.An analysis of a large sample of domestic lets on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the Sandringham estate found that one in five have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘It’s archaic’: the struggle to heat poorly insulated homes let by royal estates
A number of idyllic-looking homes in estates owned by King Charles and Prince William do not meet energy standards for rentals• Royal estates rent out homes that fail to meet legal energy efficiency standardsThis summer, the duchy of Cornwall got a new-look website with a bold statement of intent at the top: “We’re on a mission to become a world-leading impact organisation.”Updating the website will have been the easiest part of that mission. Upgrading hundreds of ageing, mostly rural, rented cottages, farmhouses and country houses will be one of the hardest. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Heathrow airport roads reopen after flooding from burst water main
Heathrow says airport operating as normal after passengers told not to travel by road and use rail and tube insteadDisruptions caused by flooding from a burst water main on a ring road at Heathrow airport restricted access to Terminals 2 and 3 on Saturday morning. The leak has been contained and the affected areas are operating as normal.Water in the central terminal area prevented anyone trying to travel by road to or from Terminals 2 and 3. Passengers had to travel by rail and tube instead. Access to the carparks was also impeded, leaving people with parked cars unable to access them. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Prediction markets and sports betting: How this UK exchange is trying to do both in the U.S.
Smarkets is entering the U.S. prediction market race but also applying to run as a sportsbook within states amid regulatory uncertainty at the federal level.
cnbc.com
Anthropic revenue reportedly jumps to more than $11.5 billion in second quarter
The jump in revenue underscores the rapid growth of the Claude chatbot maker as it prepares for a potential blockbuster initial public offering.
cnbc.com
Depleted strategic oil reserve nears level that raises concerns about damage to caverns, operations
The rapid drawdown of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve could damage the caverns that store the oil, experts warn.
theguardian.com
‘Strategic change and grasping nettles’: where now for John Lewis as boss exits?
Peter Ruis appeared ‘to be doing a good job in difficult circumstances’ at department store chain, says analyst“Going up?” After a tough week for department stores it feels as if that sales aspiration is as dated as the singsong phrase in the opening credits of Are You Being Served? Simpsons of Piccadilly, which inspired the fictional Grace Brothers department store in which the 1970s TV sitcom was set, is long gone, and several of its modern equivalents are now fighting oblivion.The boss of John Lewis, Peter Ruis, clearly decided it was time to exit the elevator this week, announcing his abrupt departure from the UK’s biggest department store chain in a surprise statement. Days later, Harvey Nichols, the luxury Knightsbridge store that was once a byword for 1990s chic, was bought out of administration for a knock-down price by the owner of Sports Direct, Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Met apologises for exposing 143 email addresses of Mohamed Al Fayed victims
London police force tells Telegraph incident was result of ‘human error’ and it is conducting an investigationThe Metropolitan police have apologised for accidentally exposing the email addresses of more than 140 victims of Mohamed Al Fayed.In a group update about its investigation into the former Harrods owner, the force copied the email addresses of 143 victims of Fayed in a message that included about 12 other recipients, the Telegraph reported. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
I drove Tesla FSD, Rivian Autonomy+ ‘hands-free’ driving systems. Here’s how they compare
Rivian is trying to catch up to Tesla's "hands-free" capabilities, but with additional safety guardrails that the Elon Musk company doesn't have.
theguardian.com
UK’s biggest EV battery gigafactory shelves expansion as Jaguar Land Rover talks stall
Chinese-owned AESC has pushed back plans in sign of slowing transition from petrol and diesel to electric carsAndy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targetsThe UK’s biggest gigafactory has shelved plans to expand production in Sunderland because of stalled talks on a deal to supply electric car batteries to Jaguar Land Rover.Chinese-owned AESC produces batteries for Nissan at its gigafactory next door to the Japanese carmaker’s Sunderland plant. However, AESC has had to push back its ramp-up plans because of lower-than-expected demand from Nissan and the lack of a deal with JLR, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Donald Trump doesn’t just love billionaires, he loves multimillionaires too
US tax policy deprives the government of revenue and overwhelmingly serves the interests of the richAfter the House passed its version of Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last year – the one that paired a $5tn-plus tax cut with $1tn-plus of cuts from food stamps and Medicaid – the House speaker, Mike Johnson, explained that “this is not giving tax cuts to the millionaires”. The beneficiaries, he said, were “small business owners” that “provide the jobs in every community in America”.Johnson was playing to the myth of the modest, sturdy Main Street job creator. It is an appealing story. It’s also the most consequential piece of BS distorting American policy that deprives the government of tax revenue, stunts American capitalism, twists regulations, thwarts competition and overwhelmingly serves millionaires’ interests. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
From food to tech to travel: the best student deals and discounts
You can save money at university, especially using schemes such as UNiDAYS, Student Beans or TOTUM‘Watch your spending, use free perks’: an insider’s tips on student moneyWith rents on the up and food costing more, maintenance loans are stretched thinner than ever. Knowing how, and where, to get a discount can make a real difference.A golden rule is to register with the big discount websites and apps – UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM – using your university email address as soon as you have one. Each has a slightly different roster of retailers, so it is worth signing up to all three. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘I don’t even drink whisky’: Scotland reels in visitors as much of Europe swelters
More direct flights from North America and, say tourism chiefs, Highland warriors and Tartan Army have helpedFor the tourist industry, 2026 has been a rocky year, with war, EU border delays, climate and economic woes gnawing away at holiday plans. But while much of Britain is feeling the loss of visitors from the Middle East and beyond, one part is thriving.Scotland is reeling in ever more visitors, with strong annual growth and a 15% rise in flight bookings to Scottish airports in June and July, compared with a drop in bookings to London and the rest of England in recent months, according to VisitBritain figures. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders
Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for ‘data acquisition’Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a flurry of bulk orders from mystery buyers, amid speculation AI companies are acquiring the tomes for their data.Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK. The increase has been replicated around the world, with booksellers in the US, Australia and Europe also reporting unusual orders. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘A tax on being thin’: only high earners make overall savings on food bills from weight-loss drugs
Users need discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to make savings on their grocery spend after paying £1,200 for GLP-1s, analysis findsThe high cost of weight-loss medication is a “regressive tax on being thin” because the outlay outweighs any saving on food costs for all but the highest earners.Someone needs to have discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to actually save money after covering the £1,200 annual cost of GLP-1 medication, according to an analysis by the consultancy Baringa. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
It’s the SUV tyranny: where have all the normal family cars gone? | Coco Khan
They rule the roads and, in their wake, even old-style saloons have been supersized. It’s an illusion of consumer choiceRecently, while traipsing from showroom to showroom in search of a used car for my growing clan, the iconic line from Christopher Nolan’s seminal Batman movie The Dark Knight came to mind: “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” And by villain, of course, I mean an SUV driver.Because, if you haven’t shopped for a secondhand family car recently, I’ll save you the shock: wherever you look, it’s SUVs. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Beijing is said to move to clarify tax rules stoking confusion among China's ultra-wealthy
Beijing is said to be moving to clarify ambiguities in new tax rules on offshore trusts after the policy sowed confusion among wealthy Chinese and advisors.
theguardian.com
‘Watch your spending, use free perks’: an insider’s tips on student money
Avoid getting into debt at university with tricks to save cash, earn extra funds and have a good timeThe best student deals and discountsOver the past two years university student Erin has been giving Martin Lewis a run for his money when it comes to hunting down the best hacks, tips and tricks to save cash and earn money.The 21-year-old has seen Oasis for free; earned tickets to race days; made money from selling secondhand clothes (£200 in one weekend alone); and enjoyed cut-price treats with friends. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Russia's economy has defied the skeptics. Cracks are getting harder to hide
Russia's wartime economy is under growing strain as its budget deficit widens and analysts warn pressure could intensify next year.
cnbc.com
Extreme heat spurs earliest-ever Champagne harvest, putting its famous taste to the test
Producers of the iconic French fizz face a challenge to preserve its taste profile while they also battle tariff complications and fewer drinkers.
theguardian.com
Five key takeaways from parliamentary hearings into client leaks at KPMG
Partners say they ‘don’t recall’ leaked papers and are accused by lawyers of being misleading as more whistleblowers come forwardGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKPMG staff misled colleagues who tried to investigate leaks of confidential client information, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.The audit and consulting firm and leading clients such as Westpac, Macquarie and Optus faced a grilling on Friday. Westpac’s representative threw his weight behind the Labor-led inquiry’s calls for the Albanese government to reform the big four firms. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Temporary ban on disposable BBQs as military deployed to help battle wildfires
Single-use grills pose a "significant risk to the public" in current drought and heatwave conditions, the government warns.
cnbc.com
Trump family-backed crypto firm World Liberty gets conditional bank charter approval
The OCC conditionally approved World Liberty Trust Co.’s national trust bank charter. That would allow the Trump family-backed firm to issue stablecoins.
cnbc.com
Nvidia discloses $21 billion stake in SpaceX at end of second quarter
Nvidia's stake in SpaceX, which came through an investment in xAI, was worth about $21 billion at the end of the second quarter.
theguardian.com
Trump threatens to declare strait of Hormuz ‘territory of the United States’
Seriousness of remark made in New York on Friday, and whether it signaled new policy position, not clearDonald Trump has threatened to declare the strait of Hormuz as “a territory of the United States” as his administration struggles to conclude the war with Iran.During a speech at a police academy on Long Island, New York, on Friday, the US president said he would “pretty soon” designate the waterway – a crucial chokepoint for global trade, through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies typically pass – a US territory. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Burnham announces £65m for drought-hit farmers after Labour pressure
PM steps up climate response with measures including better water access and support for building farm reservoirsFarmers must not carry the risks of the climate crisis alone, Andy Burnham has said, as he announced £65m of funding to help them manage the devastating drought.The prime minister is stepping up his response to the immediate climate crisis after facing a backlash from his own MPs and Labour’s grassroots for not addressing the climate crisis despite wildfires tearing through Britain and a drought affecting food producers. Labour MPs argued Burnham had taken too long to talk about the climate crisis and had not made it a priority. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Protein or pickled garlic? What's new in ice cream
There's a constant battle in ice cream to come up with new flavours and to keep costs down.
cnbc.com
Berkshire Hathaway boosts Alphabet to a top three holding, ups Delta and housing bets
Berkshire owned about 106 million shares in the parent of Google, worth $37.9 billion at the end of June, according to a regulatory filing released Friday.
theguardian.com
Ontario free to axe Toronto bike lanes, region’s top court rules
Win is significant for region’s premier, Doug Ford, who blames protected zones for city’s traffic illsThe Ontario government is now free to rip out Toronto’s bike lanes on its busiest streets after the region’s top court ruled in favour of the province on Friday, overturning a lower court’s decision that decreed removal would violate constitutional rights.The win is significant for Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, and his government, who have long railed against Toronto’s bike lanes, blaming the protected zones for the city’s traffic ills. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Regulators and banks step up scrutiny of prediction markets
The CFTC is reviewing prediction betting platforms' so-called mention markets, people familiar with the matter confirmed to CNBC.
cnbc.com
OpenAI talent exodus raises 'huge red flag' ahead of IPO
OpenAI's C-suite turnover gives investors another reason for concern as the company pushes toward a mammoth IPO.
cnbc.com
Lamborghini unveils Revuelto SV, its most powerful production car ever
Lamborghini's Revuelto SV is a limited-edition V12 hybrid with over 1,050 horsepower, a 2.4-second 0-to-100 kph time and a $741,172 starting price.
bbc.co.uk
Why is Selena Gomez being sued?
BBC journalist Ana Guerra-Moore looks at why investors who backed Wondermind Global are claiming the pop star failed to fulfil promises.
cnbc.com
Group including Jeff Bezos buys minority stake in Liverpool FC, with option to become controlling owner
The group that includes Jeff Bezos has an option to become the majority shareholder within the next year.
cnbc.com
Court rules companies can't import Gilead medications from overseas in blow to AFP health programs
A U.S. appeals court has ruled in favor of Gilead Sciences against companies known as alternative funding programs that import medicines from overseas.
bbc.co.uk
Royal Parks gardeners to strike over pay
Staff employed by sub-contractor Idverde are to strike after rejecting a 70p per hour pay rise.
theguardian.com
Liverpool owner FSG seals £1.65bn sale of 30% stake to consortium including Jeff Bezos
Confirmed deal values club as a whole at £5.5bnAmit Bhatia will become club’s new vice-chairmanLiverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, has confirmed it has agreed the sale of 30% of the club to a consortium including Amit Bhatia, the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The deal is understood to be worth £1.65bn, valuing Liverpool at £5.5bn, and will see Bhatia become the club’s new vice-chair on an expanded board.Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, initiated and led talks with FSG on behalf of the 1892 Holdings consortium, a reference to Liverpool’s founding year. The former co-owner of Queens Park Rangers has received financial backing from the Mittal Family Trust, the K5 Sports fund, of which Bezos is the lead investor, and EE Capital, the family office of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Electric vehicle sales targets could be cut after pressure from car makers
The government says it is considering cutting the new electric car sales target from 80% to 50% by 2030.
theguardian.com
Smart glasses controversy sidelines the benefits for disabled people | Letter
Guardian readers reflect on the ableism rife in the debate about Ray-Ban Meta eyewear, despite the life-changing difference they can makeYour editorial on Meta’s smart glasses acknowledges their value to blind and visually impaired people, then asks that this “not be allowed to distract” from the harms (The Guardian view on Meta’s smart glasses: regulators must get on the front foot, 10 August). As an optometrist who owns a small independent practice, I’d suggest that it is visually impaired people who are being treated as the distraction.I was reluctant to stock Ray‑Ban Meta, having no fondness for Meta or Luxottica, but colleagues persuaded me of the benefits for people with sight impairment. The reality has surpassed that. The majority of our buyers have a visual impairment or learning difficulty. One man, practically illiterate, now has the world read to him. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Milk, wine, salad: how your food will be affected by the summer of heat
There are parched fields, overheating sheep and potentially the worst cereal harvest since detailed records began – but it’s a good year for cider applesAs parts of the UK swelter through a fifth successive climate crisis-driven heatwave and nearly three-quarters of England remains in drought, how are six homegrown products faring? Continue reading...
cnbc.com
How a niche copper trade became a real-time gauge of Trump’s next tariff move
The widening price of copper between two metals exchanges is offering investors a gauge of U.S. tariff risk.
theguardian.com
As online dating goes into ‘salvage mode’, can AI solve all its problems?
Dating apps such as Bumble forced to adapt as ‘swipe fatigue’ growsBumble was supposed to be different. When it launched in 2014, it offered women a simple proposition: if you matched with a man, you had to make the first move. The rule was meant to make online dating safer and less intimidating, while giving women control over who got to speak first.This week, Bumble abandoned it. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
‘Absolutely unacceptable’: Japan PM Takaichi condemns Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril Islands
Japan protested Vladimir Putin’s first visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, escalating tensions over territory claimed by both Tokyo and Moscow.
cnbc.com
NATO aircraft shoot down drone over Latvia, which blames 'Russian electromagnetic warfare'
NATO fighters shot down a foreign drone over Latvia as Finland briefly restricted airspace and sea areas amid heightened Baltic security concerns.
cnbc.com
AI’s infrastructure boom is getting more leveraged — and harder to track
AI’s infrastructure boom is increasingly being funded through bonds, leases and private capital, while leveraged investors add another layer of market risk.
bbc.co.uk
Selena Gomez sued for alleged fraud over mental health company
Investors say the actor and singer did not take an "active role" in the company as promised.
theguardian.com
Gen Z and millennials have it far worse than my generation. Here's why | Opinion
'I know my age group has called the young lazy, entitled snowflakes,' says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, who has been writing for the Guardian for nearly 50 years. 'But I know whose side I’m on and it’s not my own generation’s.'Polly believes that the social contract between younger and older generations has been broken, with gen Z and millennials set to be worse off than their parents in the face of soaring unemployment, stagnating wages and ballooning house prices. New research carried out for the BBC suggests that people in their 20s are facing a worse start to adulthood than any other generation in almost half a century, with more than 40% of 25-year-olds now living with their parents.Watch to find out why Polly thinks her generation owes the younger ones an apology - and how they can right these wrongs Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Nintendo shares pop 7% after 'Pokémon Pokopia' sales top 5 million
Nintendo has been grappling with rising memory prices which forced the company to raise prices of its Switch 2 console which went on sale just over a year ago.
bbc.co.uk
US says dozens of countries helped China dodge Trump's tariffs
A new US report said China had moved goods through nations with lower tariffs to dodge higher levies.
cnbc.com
Trump ally Nigel Farage wins special election to return to UK parliament
Farage stepped down last month to trigger the vote, branding it a fight against "the establishment," amid controversy over his finances.
cnbc.com
China built robots that can do backflips – but can they make money?
Unitree’s IPO will gauge investors’ appetite for a technology that has yet to prove its commercial viability amid intensifying geopolitical tensions.
theguardian.com
Taiwan's simulated internet blackout, explained – video
In Taipei on Thursday, the streets swiftly emptied into shelters as air raid sirens rang out and alerts pinged on mobile phones. These kinds of drills are the norm in cities across Taiwan, amid the growing threat posed by China across the strait. But this time, internet speeds were drastically cut, simulating a coordinated attack for the first time. Rafqa Touma speaks to Yu-chen Li, Guardian researcher on China affairs, who was on the ground‘Tiktok wouldn’t open at all’: Taiwan simulates an internet blackout, with an eye on China threat Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
I got an £89 refund – how to cancel and avoid unwanted subscriptions
After the PM announced a crackdown on subscription traps, readers share how they got into and out of unwanted plans.
cnbc.com
Tata chairman’s shock exit move puts JLR owner's bets on chips, iPhones and Air India at risk
Tata Sons Chairman's sudden exit plan has sparked concerns over the Indian multinational's commitment to invest big bucks in projects of national importance.
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: Washington tightens squeeze on the Iranian economy
The U.S. seeks to escalate pressure from blockade to financial isolation, while Iran races to build a way around it.
theguardian.com
Tougher crops and beaver dams: how UK farmers are tackling drought
Hit by heatwaves and low rainfall, food producers are finding novel solutions to help crops and cattle survivePonds and collection tanks, drought-resistant crops and a certain rodent. As the climate crisis brings more extreme weather to Britain, farmers are experimenting with new tactics to tackle drought – and flooding.The string of heatwaves and drought conditions experienced across vast swathes of Britain this summer has brought a series of challenges for food producers, particularly those growing crops more suited to the UK’s traditional climate. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Tiny homes for sale in England – in pictures
From a historic former stable in the heart of London to a new-build ‘barn’ surrounded by open countryside Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Builders, bakers and cheeseburger-makers: the UK workers struggling in extreme heat
From chefs to paramedics, workers tell the Guardian how they are coping and unions outline the changes needed in the workplaceIn the sweltering kitchen of the Plimsoll pub in north London, the head chef, Joshua Swinney, has a frozen tea towel wrapped around his neck to combat the heat.As temperatures exceeded 35C (95F) in the capital, workers who were not lucky enough to be in air-conditioned offices sweltered in the heat. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘TikTok wouldn’t open at all’: Taiwan simulates an internet blackout, with an eye on China threat
Taiwan practised cutting off internet for the first time amid concerns about the safety of the undersea cables that form its ‘digital lifeline’In Taipei, the streets swiftly empty as air raid sirens ring out and alerts ping on mobile phones. Police officers usher any stragglers into shelters, leaving the capital suddenly deserted.In cities across Taiwan, these kinds of drills are a fact of life every year, amid the growing threat posed by China across the strait, but this time there is something different. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Uber partners with China's Pony.ai for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe
The rollout comes as robotaxi fleet sizes become increasingly critical for commercialization.
cnbc.com
From Apple to Ford: How Chinese tech is becoming harder for global companies to ignore
Global companies are increasingly tapping Chinese technology for its growing capabilities and scale, even as geopolitical risks remain.
bbc.co.uk
'I lost $14,000 in a month': Investors hit by Korean stock market's wild swings
Some traders are reeling from heavy losses after a brutal correction in South Korea's stock market.
bbc.co.uk
Engine parts smashed Ryanair window that man's head was sucked out of, report says
A preliminary report by US investigators says an engine fan blade broke on last month's flight from Greece to Germany.
cnbc.com
Apple's Tim Cook joined by Howard Lutnick in opening Houston manufacturing plant
As Tim Cook gets set to step down as Apple CEO, he's offering a glimpse into what he may be doing as chairman.
theguardian.com
Energy nationalism and interconnectors: the next power threat? | Nils Pratley
Solar eclipses are far easier to manage than Europe’s cross-border electricity politicsIn the end, the solar eclipse did not cause the electricity grid to flicker. The early drop-off in solar generation was manageable, just as the National Energy System Operator (Neso), the state-owned body responsible for keeping the lights on, predicted. Gas-fired generators still had to be paid nose-bleed prices to fire up, and power via high-voltage interconnectors to continental Europe was also expensively sourced. But the system worked.A summer of heatwaves, however, has highlighted European grids’ reliance on those interconnectors – including seven between the UK and the continent – in an age of extreme weather and greater use of intermittent renewables. On Thursday, another low-wind “heat dome” day, a fifth of power to the British grid was coming from the continent at 10am. Cables from France alone were meeting 11%, or 3.54 gigawatts, of demand, or more than twice as much as the output at that time from the UK’s entire fleet of windfarms. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham’s great British rip-off list just got even longer | Letters
Readers respond to the prime minister’s promise to end unexpected payments and hidden catches for consumersMisleading discounts and obstructive cancellation procedures certainly deserve regulation. But presenting this as a significant response to the cost of living crisis feels like rearranging the cushions while the sofa is on fire (Subscriptions you can’t easily cancel, sales that aren’t sales – I’ll end the rip-offs that British people hate, 9 August).For millions of households, the problem is not finding the “unsubscribe” button. It is finding that £50 buys remarkably little at the supermarket, while housing and essential bills consume ever more of their income. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Harvey Nichols bought by owner of Sports Direct
The department store made famous by sitcom Absolutely Fabulous had warned it would cease trading.
bbc.co.uk
Bumble divides users by ditching its signature 'women-first' chat rule
The dating app's boss says the move is in response to a successful trial and a change in what users want.
bbc.co.uk
Water bills set to rise for many after firms permitted extra funding
Ofwat has given provisional approval for 13 water companies to charge customers more to pay for investments.
bbc.co.uk
Flock boss admits surveillance firm took too long to act over police abuse
US police officers have quit after using licence plate-reading cameras to track romantic partners.
theguardian.com
Trump has amassed staggering wealth in ‘most openly corrupt’ presidency
Ethics experts and Democrats express alarm as Trump uses office to grow his personal fortune to ‘unprecedented’ level Donald Trump’s use of his second presidency to grow his personal fortune has alarmed legal and ethics experts and congressional Democrats as he has reaped an “unprecedented” $2.2bn in 2025 revenues by amassing big cryptocurrency holdings, benefiting from wealthy foreign interests, expanding his Truth Social business and more, while federal oversight of his actions has waned.Trump last year raked in at least $1.4bn from his crypto ventures according to financial disclosure forms he filed in June. Simultaneously, about one million investors in a Trump crypto scheme suffered almost $3.8bn in losses as their volatile crypto holdings tanked in value. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Mark Zuckerberg says the future of AI is for everyone. But who owns it? | Raffi Krikorian
It’s a nice sentiment, but all AI users should ask three questions about their preferred choice of AI platformOn Monday, Mark Zuckerberg published a 6,500-word essay, The Future Is for Everyone. The essay came with something even rarer: a new Meta open-weight model. An open-weight AI model is the kind of AI with which you download the entire thing, and it works on your own computer (with or without the internet) and nobody can switch it off except for you. Almost every mainstream AI tool you use, whether it be Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude, is one you rent access to. Meta’s is one that you can download and actually own. I downloaded it before I finished the essay. So can you.This major move by the world’s largest tech heavyweight comes amid a summer heavy with AI news, full of nations at war. Washington against Beijing; tech founder against tech founder. But beneath those conflicts is a deeper contest between two kinds of power: a government that can order technology offline in an instant, and a company that can simply close your account. Neither is necessarily villainous. But the rest of us are not merely the audience in this fight; we are the prize. And the terms are already being written: intelligence on lease, a future we pay for but never quite own. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Young people want better job prospects and housing
In a recent survey only 27% of respondents say they want to stay in Guernsey.
bbc.co.uk
Zero hours crackdown could cost firms up to £2.9bn a year
Labour's employment rights bill crackdown on zero hours contracts could cost businesses up to £2.9bn a year, new official analysis has found.
bbc.co.uk
Twitch users outraged as Amazon uses their content to train AI in opt-out feature
Users of the popular streaming platform criticised allowing Amazon to use their data by dafault.
theguardian.com
How our food became so dependent on oil
Global food prices have hit their highest level in over three years. We are told this is due to rising oil and energy costs, but how exactly do they affect prices? The most reported reason is that transport and fertiliser are to blame, but the reality is that the oil and gas industry is far more integrated in our food production than many of us realise. To get a better understanding, Josh Toussaint-Strauss takes a closer look at the production processes of three categories of food: meat, processed staples and fruit and vegetables. What he discovers is a level of involvement that is shocking Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UK economy shows surprising resilience – but that might not last | Richard Partington
Weaker growth, rising energy costs and persistent inflation mean Britain could face tougher times in the autumnUK economic growth slows downBusiness live – latest updatesIn the spring the International Monetary Fund warned Britain faced the heaviest economic blow from the Iran war among the world’s most advanced nations. Almost six months into the conflict, on the surface, the UK appears to be proving the forecasters wrong.The latest official figures show the UK maintained its pole position as the fastest growing economy in the G7 in the first half of 2026. Despite the gloomy international backdrop and yet more domestic political uncertainty, consumers have largely continued spending and business investment has boomed. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
UK economy grows but experts warn of challenging months ahead
Hot weather and the men's football World Cup boosted the economy but the Iran war may weigh on growth
bbc.co.uk
Charity awarded £100k for back to school support
From September, uniforms will be limited to three items requiring a school logo.
theguardian.com
Too smart to eat? Why octopus farms are such a slippery problem
As a controversial Spanish plan for sustainable meat on an industrial scale is dropped, it has revived the ethical debate over farming these intelligent wild animalsIn 2022 Nueva Pescanova, Spain’s largest fisheries business, announced it was investing €65m (£56m) in the world’s first industrial octopus farm and processing plant near the Canary Islands’ port of Las Palmas.Despite the creatures being notoriously difficult to farm, the company predicted that by 2025 it would be producing 3,000 tonnes of octopus a year on Gran Canaria. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
This Chinese firm has topped Micron and Kioxia in shipments of crucial NAND memory chips
Counterpoint Research looked at the NAND segment of memory chips, which is benefitting along with the larger DRAM segment from artificial intelligence demand.
bbc.co.uk
Why Japanese firms are being so slow to use AI
Japanese risk aversion and conservatism blamed for slow AI take-up by the country's business sector.
bbc.co.uk
Business Daily
Guinness owner Diageo launches a reset after profits fall and shares slide
bbc.co.uk
Trump sued over Truth Social's $100,000 early access service
The suit challenges Truth Social plan selling early access to Trump's market-moving posts.
bbc.co.uk
Discord ordered to suspend livestreams in Brazil
Discord told the BBC it was "thoughtfully reviewing" the order by Brazil's data protection agency and it was "committed to user safety"
bbc.co.uk
US inflation eases as food and fuel costs cool
Annual US inflation dipped to 3.4% in July, with food costs slowing and housing keeping prices slightly higher.
bbc.co.uk
Spotify to add label for AI-generated artists and remove them from recommendations
The new feature, starting from mid-September, will tell listeners if an artist is AI-generated.
bbc.co.uk
Burnham warned Iran war could hit UK growth next year
The conflict in the Middle East has pushed up oil and fuel prices, and also disrupted supply chains.
bbc.co.uk
Bakery buys comedian's former sites after closure
Bakery business Janes Pantry confirms its plans to reopen at least 20 of the Coughlans shops.
theguardian.com
British driver sets new land speed record for hydrogen-powered car – video
The British engineering company JCB and the driver Andy Green have set a new world land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle of 406.320mph with their JCB Hydromax. The attempt comes 20 years after Green drove JCB's Dieselmax car to a FIA-certified diesel land speed record of 350.092mph. Green also holds the outright world land speed record of 763.035mph, which he achieved in 1997, becoming the first and still only person to break the sound barrier on land Continue reading...
theguardian.com
AI was supposed to destroy jobs. Where’s the carnage?
The AI jobs apocalypse never showed up. Still, jobs are changing and economists expect more to comeThe prediction was stark: artificial intelligence advancements would wipe out jobs en masse. “Half” of all entry-level white collar jobs would vanish, Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, said in May 2025. A month later, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, went further, foreseeing the end of “certain job categories”. Companies began citing AI in their layoffs. Workers organized. And students reconsidered their future careers.But a year later, the mass carnage hasn’t shown up. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Group's chairman to step down
Chandrasekaran said he would not seek reappointment when his term ends due to a lack of support from the Tata Sons board.
bbc.co.uk
Homes near pylons to get £250 a year off energy bills – first sites revealed
Households living within 1,600ft of upgraded pylons will get £250 a year off their electricity bills.
cnbc.com
Why the historic U.S.-Japan intervention has failed to halt the yen’s slide
The Japanese yen has erased about half of the gains from an unprecedented U.S.-Japan intervention less than two weeks ago.
bbc.co.uk
PM admits cost of living help is not enough and hints at further support
The PM has announced a rake of measures to help people since taking office three weeks ago.
bbc.co.uk
Tokenomics: Why making AI pay is tricky
Buyers of AI services are struggling to control costs and sellers are not sure how much to charge.
bbc.co.uk
Sun-tanned cauliflowers and knobbly spuds - the heatwave veg that's good to eat
British shoppers should expect to see more wonky vegetables due to repeated heatwaves.
bbc.co.uk
The Global Story
Are we entering the Chinese Century, or is the Chinese Dream already fading for some?
bbc.co.uk
'I paid £400 for a Prada bag on Vinted - only to find it was fake'
A woman who paid £400 for a Prada handbag on Vinted later discovered it was a fake.
bbc.co.uk
'I started in my 20s and made £8,000': Why women are often better investors than men
Women can make higher returns but only about a quarter of UK women have investments, compared with about 40% of men.
bbc.co.uk
Business Daily
Europe's biggest business district in Paris is turning vacant office space into housing
bbc.co.uk
Jeff Bezos and Liverpool explained
BBC Sport's Sam Harris breaks down the potential new investment of Jeff Bezos into Liverpool.
bbc.co.uk
'You could smell someone' who worked at Raleigh
The company was more than just a employer. For years, it was part of the fabric of Nottingham.
bbc.co.uk
Why airlines are warning over lithium-ion batteries
The airline industry wants passengers to be careful when travelling with lithium ion batteries.
bbc.co.uk
Argos is getting a makeover - but can it attract new shoppers?
The retailer has been around for 50 years but struggled to compete with newer rivals such as Amazon. Can its new owners turn it around?
bbc.co.uk
First OpenAI, now Meta - why do AI hacks keep happening?
A flood of companies are revealing AI models gained access to the internet - with real consequences.
bbc.co.uk
Shorts, strappy tops and sandals: What is acceptable to wear to work?
Here's how to style for success while keeping your cool - and where you and your boss stand on your wardrobe.
bbc.co.uk
How tech is helping in the battle against wildfires
Tech is being used to watch for wildfires but firefighters are still needed to put them out.
bbc.co.uk
The cost of being single – and how friends are teaming up to beat it
Many singles face extra costs for housing, bills, food and holidays but there are ways to ease the burden.
bbc.co.uk
'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition
AI is reshaping the Philippines' outsourcing industry, raising questions over the future of the industry.
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
bbc.co.uk
The furious dispute over what caused Air India flight 171 to crash
The final conclusions of the investigation have yet to be published, although more could become apparent in the coming days.
bbc.co.uk
How the High Street became a window on our political instability
High Streets have declined in recent years. What does this tell us about the UK?
bbc.co.uk
The £5 coffee that tells a story of global economic turmoil
Coffees at some city centre outlets now cost £5. It's a story of tariffs, the climate, Gen Z cultural tastes, and savvy coffee farmers playing the market, writes Faisal Islam
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